As MIAC playoff chase heats
up, SMU can't afford letdown

WINONA, Minn. — Most coaches don’t like to put any extra pressure on their players — especially as the regular season begins to wind down and teams start jockeying for potential berths in post-season tournaments.

Saint Mary’s University women’s basketball coach Kim Fierke, however, isn’t like most coaches.

Fierke knows how important each and every game is from here on out to her Cardinals and their hopes of qualifying for the MIAC tournament — and she’s not afraid to say it.

“We set goals at the beginning of the season and one of those was to make it to the conference tournament, so we’re aware of where we’re at (in the standings) and we know what we need to do,” said Fierke, whose team took the first important step toward achieving that goal with a 71-57 victory over Augsburg on Saturday — a win that snapped a two-game losing streak and moved SMU into the sixth and final playoff position. “Every game is important for us right now. I don’t think saying that puts any added pressure on us. We just need to make sure to come out ready to play every night — we can’t afford any letdowns.”

And that begins tonight when the Cardinals play host to Bethel.

“Right now we are playing like a middle-of-the-conference-type of team — we’re beating the teams below us and we’re losing to the teams above us (in the standings,” admitted Fierke, whose team beat the Royals rather handidly in their first meeting. “We know when we play like we are capable, we are a better team (than Bethel). But they are a scrappy team that never gives up, and they have probably one of the best post players in the conference in Laura Jacobs.

“We can’t afford to look past them, no question about that.”

Fierke figures that if her Cardinals put together a performance similar to Saturday’s win over Augsburg, they will be just fine.

“We played very, very well,” Fierke said of her Cardinals’ streak-snapping win vs. the Auggies. “This was a must-win game for both teams and we just rose up to the challenge.”

And with six pressure-packed games remaining in the regular season — each one weighing heavily on the Cardinals’ chances of making the post-season tournament — Fierke is looking for her team to continue rising to the challenges that await them.

“Beating Augsburg was a big win for us,” said Fierke, noting that the win gave SMU a sweep of the Auggies in their season series, and, should the two teams tie for the final playoff spot, the Cardinals would get the berth. “But that game’s over — and we have to turn all our focus and energy into beating Bethel (Monday night).

“If we lose to any team we’re not supposed to lose to, that (playoff) spot could be in jeopardy.”

Nothing like a little pressure, huh?